The future of the 2018-19 season looks bleak for Chelsea, who are struggling in their quest for a third Premier League title under Antonio Conte. However, despite this seemingly insurmountable challenge, there is still hope that they can salvage something from the season.
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Ian Darke is a journalist for ESPN.com.
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- Darke is ESPN’s primary soccer voice in the United States, having called games for the network at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Since 1982, he has covered the Barclays Premier League and the Champions League, and is one of the most well-known soccer commentators in the world.
What’s the matter with Chelsea? The European champions’ hiccup has turned into a problem, and Thomas Tuchel’s halo has faded a bit. Tuchel’s club has dropped to third place, six points behind Manchester City, after being Premier League leaders and championship favorites just a few weeks ago.
On Nov. 23, everyone who saw their stunning 4-0 Champions League victory against Juventus could only see blue skies above Stamford Bridge. Chelsea dealt the Italians’ most heinous loss in their generally illustrious European history, slick, intimidating, and without showing any signs of weakness. However, despite having 70 percent possession, the club managed to earn a 1-1 draw against struggling Burnley in their last home encounter on November 6.
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Then followed Jorginho’s misjudgment of a dropped ball, resulting in a second Stamford Bridge tie for Manchester United on Nov. 28 — two more points down the drain. Then came a victory against Watford on December 1, but Tuchel confessed his spluttering squad was “fortunate.” There was now a reason to be concerned.
With goalkeeper Edouard Mendy and a defense anchored by Thiago Silva and Antonio Rudiger, Chelsea still had their stellar defensive record to rely on. They’d only surrendered four league goals all season coming into December. No opponent had scored more than one goal against them in any game until the collapse at the London Stadium on Dec. 4, when West Ham mounted a stunning comeback to win 3-2. Mendy, who had previously been outstanding, had his worst day since returning from France, conceding a penalty and losing to Arthur Masuaku’s improbable long-distance winner.
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Ben Chilwell, who provides Chelsea an additional dimension wide on the left side of Tuchel’s 3-4-2-1 formation at his best, has missed the previous seven games due to a partial ACL rupture, which has taken away some of the team’s danger. Marcos Alonso is a nice deputy, but he doesn’t have Chilwell’s speed.
Of course, it’s not all doom and gloom. Chelsea are still in third position, six points ahead of fourth-placed Arsenal, Reece James has been outstanding, and a rejuvenated Mount has scored four goals in his last five Premier League appearances. However, Andreas Christensen’s promising career has been hampered by a contract disagreement, and even Rudiger’s future at the club remains uncertain. (His contract will also end in June of 2022.) Others, such as Kai Havertz, Timo Werner, Christian Pulisic, and Hakim Ziyech, shine only in cameos rather than putting in consistent runs of form for various reasons.
Recent losses have clearly sapped the team’s confidence and swagger in this crucial stage of the season. They need to stem the rot as soon as possible, so Tuchel’s success in taking over from Frank Lampard at the start of the calendar year will be put to the test.
Is he able to resurrect this talented bunch, or is the stardust he brought to West London fading off?
The six-point difference at the top may not seem like much, but Chelsea’s two primary championship contenders are setting a blistering pace at the top, so it will take a lot of hauling back. Manchester City have not dropped a single point in their last eight games, while Liverpool have only dropped five, compared to Chelsea’s 11.
Liverpool will be the first league visitors to Stamford Bridge in 2022, and Tuchel’s squad will next go to City on Jan. 15. It’s a wonderful opportunity for Chelsea to claw their way back into the competition — or to be knocked out. That’s how bad things have become.
